firewire: epson r1800 ???

[Michael Sweet]

helices wrote:
>> helices wrote:
>>> Please, help me to get the subject printer working with firewire.
>> Short answer: ain't gonna happen on Linux, not unless someone
>> revisits the current ieee1394 backend code and updates the kernel
>> and libraw1394 interfaces to support the transfer modes required
>> by the PWG protocol used by the R1800's Firewire interface...
> <snip />
> 
> I have gone here:
>     <http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?which=pkg&data=libraw1394&archive=no&version=&dist=unstable>
> 
> and, I know that there are NO bugs reported.
> 
> I am totally new to firewire; and I do NOT pretend to understand these
> issues.  I will be happy to participate on any level to facilitate a
> better firewire infrastructure under Linux.
> 
> Please, help me understand the issues between firewire and Linux.  Perhaps, I can facilitate the changes required to overcome these obstacles.
> 
> What do you think?

It has been 4 years since I've done any development on this backend,
but the short of it was the libraw1394 and Firewire kernel interface
to usermode drivers did not support the necessary isochronous
transfer mode to send print data and receive status data.  I don't
know if this has been resolved in the 2.6 kernel (previous work was
done with the 2.4 kernel), but you need to be able to write a user-
mode driver that implements much of the SBP-2 protocol.

Suffice it to say that if you want to do this, it will be a major
undertaking.  If you *are* interested in working on this, please
contact me directly and I will make the necessary arrangements and
get you the documentation you need.

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Document Software          http://www.easysw.com